Thanks to you, the 2005 OC Fair was one in a million! For the first time in our 113 years, we welcomed over 1,000,000 visitors to the annual event. The final attendance tally was 1,058,192. It was not only a record-breaking year for attendance, but also a record-breaking year for our partners including the carnival, food vendors, and commercial concessionaires. Additionally, Pacific Amphitheatre succeeding in presenting artists as varied as Beck and the Scorpions along with X and
Hilary Duff during a season that was both critically and commercially successful.

Of course, we owe all of our success to you, the Fair enthusiasts who keep coming back year after year and encourage us to re-invent ourselves and challenge the notion of what a county Fair can be.

And while we strive to be bigger and better each year, we do not want to lose site of what makes our event great: tradition. Tradition is the lynchpin upon which all of the innovation and progress hinges. It is a commitment to community outreach through such programs as our annual book drive and food drive, it is hosting community entertainment to the delight of parents and grandparents, it is a responsibility to educational programs such as 4-H and FFA, and it is a pledge to providing a safe and comfortable venue for our guests.

As the year winds down, we begin to look ahead. We are already planning the 2006 OC Fair, hoping to delight and thrill our guests all over again. But before we get ahead of ourselves, 2005 still has some other great events to enjoy. One of the many events happening over the next three months, Kidsfaire, returns to OCFEC Oct. 8 and 9. Kidsfaire promises to be an amazing weekend full of non-stop entertainment, interactive pavilions, and unbelievable attractions. Also, the Orange County Market Place will host their eighth annual Trick or Treat Festival, featuring professional giant pumpkin carving; the Hearse, Bug and Monster Classic Car Show and Hearse Procession; and an appearance by Dr. Demento. And, wrapping up the year, OCFEC will host the first Orange County New Year's Eve celebration which will be the biggest New Year's Eve party in the county featuring the an inaugural "dropping of the Orange Ball" to ring in 2006.

So, once again, thank you OC for a great 2005 Fair and we look forward to creating something special for 2006.

Becky Bailey-Findley
CEO / General Manager
Orange County Fair & Exposition Center